The march of the Smart TV continues unabaited with almost every new TV being connected. And for those with older television sets, the number of devices that convert them to a smarter TV has just increased, with the launch of Pocket TV.

Take your smart TV with you

The ‘dongle’ made by Infinitec which looks like a usb memory stick, connects to any TV with a HDMI port and transforms it into an Android 4.0 running Smart web connected TV. Once installed the television can access the Google Play store, download apps, play games, network on social platforms, and watch free catch-up TV streaming and use pay services such as Netflix.

The Pocket TV comes with an infra-red remote, and will have an optional Air Remote complete with keyboard for easy typing and a Wii style gyroscopic motion sensor. The device also supports bluetooth for wireless use.

The stick which sounds very similar to the Liquid TV device has the benefit of being very portable and can be carried around from TV set to TV set. This means it can also be plugged into other devices such as projectors, plus there is a microSD card connection included to connect other devices.

The Pocket TV can also be used as a media player if you hook it up to the home network, and you can stream movies and music from your PC. Specs for the stick are below:-

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Boxee have announced the official release of their latest product, the ‘Boxee Live TV’ dongle, a online streaming add-on, with owners of the company’s range of set-top boxes receiving a free software update to bring the general user interface in line with their latest design.

Unveiled in November, the memory stick-shaped device (which connects to the Boxee Box) is priced at $49 each (currently available from the company’s website), and offers users a chance to stream live from major networks such as Fox, ABC, NBC, and CBS, amongst others.

It is thought of by its creators as a product which could help steer users away from traditional TV viewing platforms, with the official announcement blog post from Boxee reading: “Let the cord cutting begin!”

Boxee CEO Avner Ronen had in December given his intial hopes for the Boxee Live TV platform, stating: “Rather than pay $80 per month for cable TV, and pay a lot of money for stuff they don’t watch, Boxee TV is a different setup, where they have much more control over what they pay for. We think it’s very similar to the transition that happened in the music business. Historically, you had a couple of songs that you really like, but you still buy the whole album. As music became digital, users revolted against that type of bundling, and I think the same is happening with video. We don’t think Boxee TV is necessarily for 100 percent of households, but I think for a good numbers of Americans, it could be a real alternative.”

The company who have stopped development of the Boxee software on PC, claim that their target market is users who generally view one-off or specialised TV broadcasts (such as a sports game or an annual awards ceremony), who would often be unable to watch online without paying a subscription to the channel as a whole. Ronen said of this feature, and its aims: “If you’re watching more and more on your laptop or your iPad, then I think you’d like what Boxee is doing. If you’re coming home and you’re watching TV for six hours and you watch a lot of ESPN, we’re probably not the right solution for you.”

Set to be sold only in the USA and Canada, Boxee Live TV will be compatiable only with other Boxee products, and though the device is set up mainly for live streaming broadcasts, Ronen claims that the Boxee Box is capable of performing DVR functions for a user who sets it up in that way. A ‘selective’ online TV platform sounds like a good progressive product, but will the initial promise be reflected in the sales figures?

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Google have had a few cracks at getting onto your TV set without much success, but their latest gadget will make many sit up and listen (or watch even) thanks to it’s promise of bringing the internet to your TV for a mere $35.

The Chromecast stick which resembles a USB memory stick plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, connects to the WiFi network and gives an Airply feature allowing users to stream video, TV and movies from other connected devices such as tablets, smartphones and computers.

The Chromecast also gives access to online streaming websites such as Youtube, Netflix and Google Play media. As a sweetener the box ships with a Netflix 3 months for free offer (edit This offer has now been removed).

No remote is needed as you just use whatever device or computer you are streaming or mirroring from to control things.

The device which is around 2-inches long runs on a simplified version of the Chrome OS and needs powering from the USB port (which many TV’s can supply so no hanging wires).

The device will stream all media from the web or via cloud storage as Google say this leads to higher-quality streaming, and is easier on the battery life of devices. They also push the fact that the device works across multiple operating systems.

Apps can be downloaded which will feature a button called ‘Cast’ on the user interface, which when pressed will push the content to the TV set your using and reformatting the display to suit a bigger TV screen.

Google Music can be streamed as well as the popular Pandora service. Google also say they are working on a feature that lets users send any Chrome tab to the Chromecast.

The Chromecast is the latest attempt by Google to grab viewers eyeballs, from the ill-fated Google TV device sold as a $200 set-top box to the even worse strange orb-shaped Nexus Q media box which was withdrawn from sale almost as soon as it was launched.

But now Google are using Chromecast as a small, simple and cheap device that will make even Chinese Android devices seem expensive.

Bad points include no home network streaming and a limited range of working apps. but these points may well be addressed, and you still get plenty for a few bucks. The simplicity compared to android of sending both PC and mobile web content to your TV set will make this device one hot seller.

Chromecast can be purchased from the Google Play store, Best Buy and Amazon. Devices for other countries will be released as soon as possible.

If you have put off buying a new fangled smart TV because of both the price, and the fact your existing TV has still got life in it, then there is a solution. SmartKey TV is an Android powered USB stick/dongle that plugs into any TV with a HDMI port and turns it into a Smart TV.

SmartKey - TV in a stick

The dongle from Italian company Liquid TV runs the Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) OS and means you can run apps from the Google Play Store, Do your social networking, and watch a plethora of online video content.

Content will be available from streaming video sites such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and HBO amongst others.

There are also a range of optional accessories such as IR remote control, motion sensor and mobile remote app. Due to be launched in their home country and Europe this July and the company are also promising a video-on-demand service comprising of more than 1000 premium movies.

Prices of the stick range from 99€ for the Smartkey TV Standard package and 119€ for the Smartkey TV Advanced package (same of standard more remote with motion control sensor and air remote).

This may be the start of a rash of Android powered internet TV devices, Taiwanese company, Honeywld are launching an Android 4.0 powered set-top box this year for $95. Roku announced at the beginning of the year that they would be releasing a similar ‘streaming stick‘ as well.

Accessories Remote control Basic IR remote control, with option to move the cursor (simplified mouse function)
IR extender Cable with IR receiver to put in front of the TV (IR needs line of sight)
Power USB power cable with mini-USB and standard USB connectors
Optional RC Check all Remote Controls available

Intel has created yet another new and innovative gadget. It’s a new chip, but it won’t be being added to any computer system. That’s because the Intel company’s latest chip invention is actually a tiny computer itself. It’s called the Compute Stick, and at CES 2015, Intel revealed this new sophisticated and extremely compact computing device.

While many “sticks” on the market right now are mainly plug-in internet streaming media devices, Intel’s new “stick” invention is a literal plug-in Windows PC. The pocket-sized mechanism can be plugged into any HDMI port on a TV or PC monitor, and Compute Stick will instantaneously turn your TV screen into a desktop PC experience.

Features of the new Intel Compute Stick are an Intel Atom processor, 32 GB of storage, Wi-Fi capabilities, a USB port, and external micro SD card slot for convenient expandable storage. Two separate versions of the Intel Compute Stick will be made available on the market: a Window 8.1 version and a Linux version. The Windows 8.1 Compute Stick will be priced at $149, while the Linux version will be offered at a much lower price of $89.

Intel plans to target this new gadget at those who are looking for a bigger screen for their computing needs. The Compute Stick will ultimately be a double-device, combining the streaming of videos, music and other digital content with the ability to run numerous office applications. The Compute Stick unit will also be able to play a few uncomplicated video games as well.

Users of the Compute Stick will need to connect either a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard or wireless USB peripherals in order to operate its PC functions. With Intel’s new Compute Stick, all you need to do is add a keyboard, mouse and a monitor or TV screen, and you have yourself a whole computer system.

The dongle will normally retail for $39, close to the $35 retail price of the Chromecast. Like its competitor, The Fire TV Stick plugs into your TV’s HDMI port to play streaming media like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, music, games, and more. Users can also gain access to Amazon Instant Video boasting “Over 200,000 TV episodes and movies, millions of songs, and hundreds of games”.

The Fire TV Stick allows you to playback content wirelessly from your Android or iOS smartphone and tablet, freeing up space on your device’s screen playing media from apps like YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, and more. You can also mirror your smartphone or tablet’s screen to your TV.

You can control, search and navigate with a dedicated TV remote which comes included, or also through the free app on android phones (with the iOS app coming soon). You can also voice search on the free app or buy the Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote for $29.99.

“Fire TV Stick has been our most successful device launch ever,” said Senior Vice President of Amazon Devices, Dave Limp. He released a statement: “We built a ton of these, but customer demand still outpaced our supply. We’re excited by the overwhelming customer response and the team is working hard to build more as quickly as possible.”